Taking crude, yet complex thrash metal, mixing in technical/progressive loopiness and playing it with the fervor of a high-school garage rock band, Ontario's Adrenechrome offer up an energetic if somewhat enigmatic debut EP. At times recalling old Megadeth or Lamb of God, at others Mastodon – sometimes within the context of the same song, such as “Six Guns” - the band mix and match styles and moods with a carefree disregard for convention.

And is that a hint of banjo in the background of several tracks – notably “The Horror?” If so, these guys may be among the first to sprinkle bluegrass into their extreme-ish metal. Talk about balls.

Yet while one must certainly admire Adrenechrome's sense of adventure and whimsy, there's a somewhat disjointed feeling to Hideous Appetites over the course of its seven tracks. The epic, straight up metal of “Winds of the Void” - whose intro is a bit too close to Slayer's “Seasons of the Abyss” for comfort - or “Locust Wings” make for a curious contrast to the more madcap, seemingly irreverent “Hymns for the Heathen” or “The Horror.”

Youthful exuberance will only get you so far. But the foundation these guys lay here still seems pretty solid. Their willingness to go against the grain is refreshing, and more often than not their experimentation pays off. Certainly a promising start.